10 March 2009

Cashmere and Silk

Black cashmere robe with silk paisly lining and $45 to dry clean

Villa Delmitia of Milano. I don't know a thing about them.

I'm sitting here naked as I write this. The Robe is 100% cashmere lined with silk. The pj's are 100% silk. I wear them rarely - - not because they cost a lot. They didn't. But because dry cleaning in NYC is a mother and I usually sleep in boxers.

Marshall Fields on State Street means nothing to most and a whole lot to a few. One of the few remaining department stores that seemed to have a department for everything. When Macy's bought Fields from Target there was a lot of confusion within every department. I saw these black silk pyjamas go from $450 to $90 in three months. The robe took a little longer. $1,900 to $199 in about six months.

They feel as good as they look. And the hunt made the kill that much sweeter. Like a lion on the Serengeti, I watched patiently and waited for a wounded Gazelle. I feel bad the Gazelle was Marshall Field's but I'll never forget the pounce. I wasn't greedy. I killed only what I could eat.

25 comments:

Zingiber said...

Great looking sleepwear. I always look longingly at the Derek Rose items in the Ben Silver catalogue and elsewhere. (About 20 years ago I got a pair of Derek Rose pj's from a Gant outlet store in New Haven, CT, and they wore incredibly well.)

I have toyed before with the idea of a cashmere or wool robe, but worried about scratchiness. How do you find it? I suppose the silk helps a lot.

tintin said...

D Rose no longer made in UK but in Eastern Europe somewhere. Biiig difference in quality and feel. Still have a set from 10+ years ago with made in the UL label. Older they get the softer they get.

The silk really helps although the cashmere is not bad. Still, I wore army wool socks so my scratch tolerance may be higher than yours.

initials CG said...

You lucky sob! Very cool, very.

Sure the girl friends will enjoy.

heavy tweed jacket said...

Fields meant a whole lot. It was the one place to shop where one could find nearly all things, and the State Street store was cavernous. When I was a kid I thought that the subway connecting entrance was so cool. Wonderful looking finds.

Michael Rowe said...

I love my cashmere robe, but I live with two shaggy, sheddy labs as well as a spouse, so I'm always conscious of not looking like a $2000 lint brush. And paradoxically, in Palm Springs where we spend Christmas in a dog-free house, it's too hot. What to do, what to do? Sadly (if practically) the robe will outlast the dogs, and I'll be a very elegant sleepy old gent.

M.Lane said...

Oh FABULOUS finds!! WELL done.

ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

ADG said...

tintin...luxury sublime no doubt. I relate to your story about watching and waiting....watching and waiting...knowing that the prices would continue to fall. It reminds me of the time that I picked up a pair (the pair...they were a Polo standard back then) Polo Mock Crocs shoes from the Ralph store in Charleston S.C. It was 1986 and I had no money. That crocodile loafer never went on sale ever. They were 800 bucks in 1986....way out of my range. I walked in the store and they were half price. I pounced on them even though 400 bucks was still strong for me.

I later learned when I was in NYC at the shop there, that a fax came through one day with all the style numbers for shoes that were to be marked down to half price. They mistakenly transposed a digit and alas...the Moc Croc was on sale for about 72 hours till they caught the mistake.

Do you have a suit form/manequin in your house?

tintin said...

cg- you are so right -- as always.

htj- don't know if you caught any of "the
end" at Fields but it was very sad.

Michael- That's exactly why I owned a wire
fox terrier.

ML- hey, keep a lookout on the Travel Channel
for Anthony Boursain's review of the D'or. Cathy
and Robert are great and old place photographs so well.

ADG- that sounds like croc croc not mock (ersatz) croc. Always wondered how those Polo crocs handled wear and tear. Yep, I own a form. An Italian men's store closed and I
bought it. Had no use for any of his clothes but he had some nice forms and a couple of beautiful brass chevals which he refused to sell and seemed pissed off I even asked. I'm sure he was not in a good place with a vulture like me picking over his fixtures. But I happily rolled the form all the way home.

Alice Olive said...

I love that last image, the depth of field is perfect.

tintin said...

Alice- Coming from you that's a great compliment. Thank you. Still trying to transition from film to digital. Who knew a 50mm lens was the same as an old 80mm or thereabouts. Everybody but me.

Anonymous said...

Believe you me, a cashmere dressing gown is an essential element of a man's wardrobe. Nothing is more consoling at the beginning or ending of a day (save perhaps the requisite, corresponding bourbon or mimosa).

BTW, keep a quality silk robe for the heat of summer -- equally consoling. Never been a fan of silk PJs though. I prefer the comfort and easy care of flannel (and fine cotton for summer).

Anonymous said...

If I were your girlfriend I'd probably steal this from you and make it my own.

And, I wouldn't give it back if we broke up.

Anonymous said...

Such are the risks of cashmere, silk, and manhood!

ADG said...

tintin...you are correct...the shoes were genuine...not ersatz. They were the moccasin...kind of a low vamp...the real deal...wore the hell out of them for 15 years. That's back when Baker Benjes made Ralph's shoes.

Anonymous said...

Oh Darling, tell me the boxers are silk too! ME

tintin said...

Death Bredon- The silk Chester Barrie / Purple Label silk robe should be up soon.

Ms P&C- You remind me of alotta girlfriends.

ADG- I remember them well. Who is Baker Benjes?

ME- No silk boxers. Perhaps when I own a Dry Cleaner. Although I always wanted them in dark forest green with a red monogram.

dandy nihilism said...

Whose the gentleman in the portrait?

tintin said...

My great, great, great grandfather. On the maternal side. A wag of sorts who lost his fortune and extensive Novia Scotia land holdings at Whites over a poor run of luck that lasted a couple of months. I understand he also overslept and missed a meeting with George IV but that's a family legend that's been blown way outta proportion.

Or, I just bought it at an auction.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

every hear of woolite, or better still, mild dish soap (same thing)? Rinse, let hang dry...what's the big deal?

Anonymous said...

I like silk underwear because I seem to get less racing stripes with them

Anonymous said...

Googling Baker-Benjes should turn up a couple of AxAndy links on the first page. Polo were crocogator, I've the short vamp in Itai camp moc and Itai penny. Never to an arraingnment.

(That ain't me what's proud of his unretained eaudeur.)

jg

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

tres "maggie the cat gives big daddy a birthday present from brick" if you ask me. i'd borrow it but we could share.

Christina - WhatsInYourManPurse.com said...

Bravo! You deserve those pajamas and robe for your excellent hunting skills! Very impressive!

Unknown said...

Tintin, I have just read your comment “Cashmere & Silk” in which you mentioned your cashmere robe lined silk which has a Villa Delmitia label as showed in the picture… and I hope you will appreciate some information about the robe you bought. Villa Delmitia - located in Milano - is an Italian Company manufacturing high level items as: pyjamas, dressing gowns, night shirts, smoking jackets, as well as a wide range of accessories of high quality: scarves in pure silk or backed 100% cashmere, ties, ascots, boxer shorts, plaids cashmere/wool/silk. All the garments are realized with best quality fabrics in natural fibres: silk, cashmere, remarkable wools, cotton, linen . Our product are guaranteed 100% Made in Italy. From the bottom to the sewing thread all is entirely made in Italy by Italian workers who are qualified by a long tailoring experience .... we consider ourselves as The Last of Mohicans, as we like to save the identity and the soul of our garments... Thank you so much to have chosen one of our items! (further information about us on our website www.pigiamiditalia.it) ....